Theme of the month - Wellness

Bangkok - Massage, Meditation and More

White sandy beaches, tropical temperatures, hospitable hosts – as if that weren’t wellness enough… but Thailand has even more to offer! For example, an ancient massage technique that smiling practitioners happily pass on to Western visitors, and spa resorts that combine holistic healing with modern luxury. Even in Bangkok, the bustling capital city, you will find some wonderfully peaceful oases in which to enjoy a tranquil moment of time out. Bring a little more time and you could even discover some fantastic feel-good havens complete with a sea view.

Massage, Meditation and More

Wat Po:Wat Po Temple (with its famous, 46-meter-long Reclining Buddha statue) features on many visitors’ “to see” list. But what most tourists don’t expect to find here is the opportunity to relax beneath the professional hands of the masseurs at the temple’s own, highly respected massage school. People come from all over the world to train here and then – in return for a small fee and under the supervision of their instructors ¬– to try out their newly acquired skills. The ancient art of Thai massage is said to have been developed by Buddha’s personal physician.

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit/Spa:In actual fact, the massage technique has its roots in Indian and Chinese medicine. In the West, it is also known as “Thai yoga massage” or “Yoga for the lazy.” In Thai massage, the limbs are stretched and brought into positions similar to those of yoga. In other words, the client is exercised without having to move a muscle because the massage therapist does all the work. For Thais, this kind of massage is simply a regular element of preventive health care, but for tourists it is often slightly modified, and the spas of luxury hotels (for instance, the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit) frequently offer further traditional Thai treatments.

Mandarin Oriental/Spa:For many guests, just staying at this hotel is like a wonderful wellness treatment. The Hotel Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok counts among the planet’s legendary luxury hostelries – and according to the experts, also boasts the “world’s best” spa. There, guests can relax and enjoy an ayurvedic treatment, a Thai massage or any of a host of international standard treatments in one of the spa’s exclusive suites. Should your onward journey take you to the city of Chiang Mai in the north of the country, you will have another chance to stay at a Mandarin Oriental hotel. It has a superb spa, too, but also boasts 60 hectares of lush gardens.

Chiva Som:Quiet oases amid a bustling megalopolis: In Bangkok, wellness treatments are a way of recharging your batteries to cope with the hectic pace of daily life – which unfortunately often catches up with you just a few hours later. Anyone looking for a longer break from the rat race will find some veritable havens of peace and relaxation on the Gulf of Thailand. One such is the Chiva Som Health Resort in the seaside town of Hua Hin, some 185 kilometers south of the capital. The resort has a private beach and an ample, seven-hectare tropical garden. Traditional Thai pavilions await guests, who can take yoga classes and choose from a selection of holistic healing and conventional medical treatments.

The Spa Resort:Like Bali, Goa and Ibiza, Ko Samui was one of the original Eldorados for dropouts. Today, people usually come here to relax – and book themselves into luxury hotels, such as the Spa Resort. This dream resort complex pampers its guests with a vast range of treatments and activities (detox and massages, meditation and yoga courses). It also features a multi-award-winning restaurant that prepares vegetarian and vegan meals to customer specification. In addition to the hotel on the beach at Ko Samui, further Spa Resorts have now opened at the heart of the island and also on Ko Chang and in Chiang Mai.

Kamalaya:The holistic ideals of onetime dropouts are still in evidence at the Kamalaya Resort on Ko Samui, a wonderful resort where the main attraction is a cave once used by Buddhist monks as a quiet retreat in which to meditate. Today’s guests enjoy far more luxurious accommodation than the monks in the old days, and can choose, for example, between a pool or beach villa – and select from a host of different treatments: yoga courses, detox, fitness, antistress or other, tailored programs… More specific alternative and conventional medical treatments are also available at retreats and workshops (see event calendar on the website).